


Gentle waters

by BritishGentlemanPersona



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M, Mates, Mating Grounds, Mating Rituals, Mermaid Alfred, Mermaid Arthur, Mermaids, courting, usuksummerfestival2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 21:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7548376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BritishGentlemanPersona/pseuds/BritishGentlemanPersona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After four years of never finding a mate, Arthur gave up hope of ever being loved, until he was assaulted by a giant merman who came out of a fairy tale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gentle waters

**Author's Note:**

> This is my gift for the UsUk summer festival.

Arthur swam forward with a dread clouding the water around him. Mating season. How he dreaded the very words, this is now his 4th year unmated. As to be expected of any young mermale, mermaid (He was currently working on a better term, with more elegance than mermale) he was to be mated to a other young merman on his first year, or at least his second year. It was ridiculous. At first he thought that it had maybe been because he was a bit late, though he was very enthusiastic, (he wouldn't dare say eccentric, though his brothers protested) by the time he had arrived there was no one left. No one who wanted him at least, he would say his looks were... average. He had his tattered pride, his shaky, worn, tattered pride. Though after THREE YEARS he would think someone would be interested in him. He knew he wasn't ideal, he was slim, small framed, thick eyebrows, pale, nothing like all the other mermen (mermen, that has a nice ring). The others, were big, broad, muscular, tanned skin, charm... Even those who WERE ugly, they at least had charm. Not like the so called "Sea urchin" with a tale. He tried courting several times, he has gotten the most beautiful jewels he could find, he had spent weeks before mating season to gather the best shells that he could have found, just to bring them for his soon to be. Though, how many, mermaids, mermen he tried to court, it never really worked out.

So here he was, as if it was the stench of a dried muscle, he was swimming on the familiar mating ground once again. The same place every single time, he was not planning to go at all this year. Four years was a long time for someone to go unmated, frankly it as unheard of, and with everyone saying there was something wrong with him. He was starting to believe it, as stubborn as he was, four years was a very long time to be unmated. Arthur looked around the sandy banks and sighed, hopefully he would be able to get far away from the lovers without having another mermaid or man following his signal (he was going with it). Arthur looked around at all of the lovebirds and he sighed softly. If three years he got nothing, what would a fourth do? Arthur snapped out of his thoughts when he was bumped into from behind. He growled and made his way back up and around, "What's your bloody problem?" Arthur shouted, straightening himself out and looking up at his attacker.

He had to be right out of a fairy tale. He couldn't be real, he had broad shoulders, toned tan skin, he was big, muscular, hair as blond as the sand below, and eyes as bright as the skies above. "Sorry, dude. I'm excited to be here!" The stranger had told him, rubbing the back of his head with a shy smile on his face. The mumbling around him perked his attention, the spotlight was on them, or mostly Alfred. "It's fine." Arthur said with malice, and a glare on his face. Arthur swam through the crowds of people before his luck could worsen anymore. Arthur swam off, leaving a tsunami of bubbles behind him as he scurried away to gather at least a couple of shells. He could at least try, even if he knew he was never going to get a mate.

Meanwhile, the newcomer was flurried with questions. "Where do you live?" "What kind of mate are you looking for?" "Where have you been all of my life?" "What is your name?" The maidens and men asked him, as Alfred looked forward, seeing the other swim away. "O-oh!" Alfred said when he snapped back to reality, "My name is Alfred F. Jones, one and only! I come from the Gulf of Mexico, near Texas. No one really lives by there because the water is not very pretty as it is down here, but that was exactly what my mom and pops were looking for!" Alfred said casually, only a few people had backed away from him after hearing where he lived. "I didn't know those beaches have such luck to give off beautiful offspring!" One mermaid said pleasantly. Alfred nodded with a soft exhale as he did so, "Do you know where we are supposed to rest for the next couple days?" Alfred asked the girl in front of him with a smile on his face.

"O-oh, there is caves around here. That is probably where Arthur is headed to right now." The red faced girl said with a shaky smile on her face. "Arthur?" Alfred asked with a eye brow raised. "The urchin you bumped into! He has been unmated for four years. Some say that he has gotten mates for the past three years, but ate them all!" One boy said with wide eyes, waving his arms around in exaggeration of the situation. "Eat?!" Alfred said with chills running down his spine. "It's just a rumor people made up. It's not like he could ever eat anyone anyways, he doesn't seem very strong anyways." The same girl told the boy next to him. "Oh-he doesn't seem too bad." Alfred said with a bright smile on his face as he swam out of the crowd around him. His tail a shimmering blue and gold, the glint of the scales from the light above made it seem like he was shimmering. There was a necklace dangling off of his neck, it held two shark teeth. His hips were lined with a rope with seashells caught into it.

"Well, I am going to go and check out the caves. I might get some rest, I've been swimming here for two straight days." Alfred said with a smile on his face. That little pulsing beat in the distance had a name too it. Arthur. If there were other mermaids nearby he could sense them, in the back of their head. The stronger the connection is between two mermaids, the stronger the pulse would be. Arthur was faint, but definitely there. He swam towards the beat and sure enough he was able to see Arthur nearby. Unlike most of the mermaids who already had some courting gifts weaved into their tails. Alfred of course didn't have any yet, he wasn't with them long enough to receive any gifts. Alfred noticed that Arthur was picking up shells and examining them closely before throwing them on the ground, he didn't seem to care too much around his presence. Arthur didn't really look like he was all too into it. His motions were half hearted and it didn't really seem like he was all too happy judging by his facial features.

He could imagine that Arthur wasn't too thrilled to be here. Four years without a mate, he even had a legend about him. Though it was pretty cool that he did have a legend about it. It didn't really... suit Arthur. He was beautiful, even though he was slim, smaller. That didn't really change anything for Alfred, he still had the beautiful blonde hair, reminding him of the dry sand from his trip to the panhandle. He had beautiful emerald eyes, that reminded him of the rare jewels that were plundered by humans for lots of their paper currency. Arthur’s tail was more beautiful than any others. His fin was wide and it had little strings of fin hanging on them, moving gracefully in the water.His tail was green with specs of silver in it, shining like sunken treasure. Alfred looked around him, and fretted softly, he was looking around for something, something pretty that he could give the cute, mysterious mermaid. Alfred looked down and took the rope off of his waist and held it behind his back as he swam forward.

"You're Arthur right?" Alfred called from a small distance behind Arthur. Arthur turned around quickly and looked at Alfred for a mere second before it hardening in a second. "Why should it matter to you?" Arthur snapped with malice. He rolled his eyes expecting to here the younger mermaid say some snarky remark about his lack of a mate. "Well, I am Alfred F. Jones, and I want to court you." Alfred said, swimming forward and wrapping the rope with shells around his shoulder, like a shawl. Arthur was in a bit of shock at the moment, "Court me? You want to court me?" Arthur asked with wide eyes. He looked at the rope and looked up to him and narrowed his eyes. "If this is some kind of joke, I would say so right now. Not only will it be a embarrassment to you, but you won't be able to give this to anyone else." Arthur told Alfred with a harsh glare on his face as he told Alfred, very sternly, the situation.

Alfred chuckled and smiled a bright smile."I know that, you maybe grumpy and all, but that is only because your irritated about coming here again, also having some kids say mean shit about you, right?" Alfred asked Arthur with a smile on his face. Arthur looked to him a bit shell shocked and nodded softly, holding onto the rope with a strong grip. He was afraid that at any moment, that Alfred would take it back and laugh in his face for ever believing a model merman like him would ever want to court, and potentially love him. Possibly the ugliest merman alive. "I think you're cute. No matter what people say, everyone's interpretations of someone is based off of others opinion. It's not fair that no one ever wanted to try and court you. Everyone deserves love, especially someone as pretty as yourself. " Alfred told Arthur with light blush tinting his cheeks and his eyes darting to Arthur.

Arthur couldn't actually believe his ears, Arthur's face resembled a lobster as his face started to redden with blush and go to the tips of his ears and down his neck. Arthur flushed and reached to his side to pull out the large shells and hand them to Alfred, quickly. "Here. It's not like I like you for sure, but it's only fair to give you a chance with me." Arthur told him with blush covering his face. Alfred looked at the shells and took them with a smile. "Thank you, I'll be sure to have one of the girls help me put them on." Alfred said rubbing the back of his neck and smiling.

Arthur nodded and pushed himself a distance away before swimming to the caves they were supposed to rest in. Thoughts raced through his head as he thought over the situation while tugging on the rope around his shoulders. He ignored the stares of other mermaids and men when he swam by. Arthur took his cue and swam quickly into the cave and went to find a soft sandy pod. He actually had a chance this time, he still was wary though, he would never know if a other mermaid would come and steal Alfred’s heart... He scolded himself when he thought to himself, he had hope.

**Day one.**

Arthur had stayed up all night and began to work his hardest on something Alfred would like, he was still unsure of what any mermaid would find attractive. He had used a thin fishing line to make a necklace, with large and small shells lined on it. He hoped it was big enough to fit around Alfred’s head, he had used all of the shells he had found to make it. Arthur peaked out of the small pod in the cave and looked around to see if there was anyone still asleep. When he swam out, he began to notice everyone was out. He figured that they all went to find shells and if they are lucky some jewels. Arthur swam forward and out of the cave, moving out of it's large mouth, he soon spotted Alfred. He then realized how hard it would be to actually court him, the shells were weaved in his hair, but there had to be at least 10 other seashell necklaces wrapped around his neck. Arthur sucked in a breath and backed away a bit, he looked in his hand and he clenched the necklace with frustration. He wanted to try and be able to win Alfred over. So what if he was just a boy, he could love him... right?

Arthur swam away from the crowd, holding the necklace in his hand and wrapping the shawl tighter around his shoulders. Arthur swam back into the cave and went deeper. The younger mermaids never really knew where to find jewels, he had found some last year, typically there is nothing to do here when there is no mating going on. Arthur made his way deep into the cave, avoiding rocks and strange caves. Arthur looked down and smiled satisfied seeing the aquamarine sitting at the bottom of the cave. He looked around warily, knowing eels might be nearby the treasure. Arthur quickly scooped up little jewels and put them in his bag before swimming up and back to his pod. "I'll try again tomorrow." Arthur told himself as he began to make new jewelry out of shells and aquamarine.

**Day two.**

Alfred groaned feeling his neck and arms, though he loved to be flattered, this was getting to be too much. He was the hottest fish in the sea, don't get me wrong, but why are all the courting gifts going to him. Let's be realistic. Arthur did have his sash, One. Two, only one person can mate him, so why would thousands of mermaids flock to him if they know that only one out of the thirty people could be his mate. Alfred sighed as he digged around for more shells. He sorted through the sand, looking through it for some shells. He found pretty looking, small ones, so he took those. He looked around before picking up a large purple shell. He smiled holding it closer. He went to the coral reef nearby and plucked seaweed off of the side to use it for his creation. He had never really felt such joy in his heart seeing Arthur look so happy. He must have been lonely with everyone avoiding him.

He had watched Arthur the day before, he had noticed him near the cave when he was being flocked. Arthur looked excited for a genuine moment before looking his direction and seeming crushed. He had wanted to chase after Arthur when he had swam back into the cave. He liked Arthur, none of the other mermaids made him genuinely happy. When he received a gift from them he felt thankful, not happy like when he got the shells from Arthur. Alfred went and made his courting gift by the reef. Alfred began to knot the shells in the seaweed and smiled seeing he made a ring. It didn't look big enough to fit around Arthur's neck, but it looked good enough to be a crown for him. He was sure Arthur would like it.

**Day three**

Arthur smiled at the long necklace, he had spent all day yesterday to make the necklace look right, making the jewels the appropriate size and tying them onto the fishing line. Arthur smiled and held the necklace to his chest and swam out of the cave once again to gift Alfred. Arthur looked at Alfred surrounded by the crowd of people and shrinked himself a bit, knowing he would have to tear through hungry mermaids just to get to the real meat. Arthur swam forward, expecting terror, only to see Alfred break through his own crowd and swim up to him. "Artie!" Alfred shouted with joy as he swam to him with a giddy smile on his face. Arthur glared at Alfred and looked to him with blush coating his cheeks. "My name is Arthur, keep it at that." Arthur said, only making Alfred laugh. Alfred looked to Arthur and smiled seeing his sash still around Arthur’s shoulders. He was glad that he kept his sash and didn't throw it out.

"Here- I made this for you." Arthur said, snapping Alfred out of his thoughts, he looked at the brightly shimmering necklace with wide eyes, "Where did you find jewels at?" Alfred asked looking to Arthur with blush coating his cheek as he fiddled with it. "I have my secret, four years without a mate lets you find some things." Arthur told Alfred sheepishly, not looking him in the eye. Alfred smiled and placed the crown on top of Arthur’s head, he moved the blonde fringe out of his face and smiled seeing his cheeks return to the lobster state they were in the first day. "I made you the crown, it was supposed to be a necklace, but I-" "I love it!" Arthur snapped quickly. "Do you feel it?" Alfred asked Arthur with a smile on his face as he swam around Arthur with a smirk. "Feel what?" Arthur asked with a snap, as Alfred swam around him. "The pull?" Alfred said with a smile, stopping behind Arthur and placing his hands on his shoulders. "The pull? That's a children’s story. The pull is nothing but a myth." Arthur told Alfred with a frown on his face, not moving away from his hands.

"Then tell me why you haven't had a mate for so long. The pull was made for you and me, that's why. Poseidon himself was saving you for me!" Alfred said with a smile, snaking his hands down Arthur’s sides with a grin on his face as he did so, turning Arthur around and planting a heavy kiss on his lips, making the moment last before pulling back. "Do you believe in the pull now?" Alfred asked.

 

_"Mummy, how do you find your mate?" Arthur asked his mother just as a young pup, he swam to his mother and grabbed onto her arm with gentle flush coating his cheeks. Arthur's mother looked down at him in shock and chuckled lightly, picking her son up and holding him to his chest. "Well, once you are old enough, you will go to the mating grounds. It's pretty there, the water is clear, there are lots of jewels and shells. When you get there, there will be other mermaids too. " Arthur’s mother started, "Mermales!" Arthur told his crossing his arms. Arthur's mother chuckled and nodded, "Mermales too, and they will be there looking for a mate as well." She explained, smoothing back Arthur’s hair. "How will I know which one is my mate, mummy?" Arthur asked with wide eyes, holding onto her shoulders, and looking to her with wide eyes. "You know how you can tell there is another mermaid, or male nearby, you can feel it?" Arthur's mother asked with a gentle smile, listening to his mother, Arthur nodded. "Well when you go there, you will feel something like this in your chest. It will make you move, and it will lead you to your mate. You will know who he or she is as soon as you see them. Your head will feel funny, as well as your tummy, and you will know that you want to be with them forever!"_

 

"Yes.. I do."

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comment, subscribe.


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